


With our backs to the wall

by NamelesslyNightlock



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Tony Stark, Declarations Of Love, Established Relationship, Fluff, Insecurity, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Odin's A+ Parenting, Protective Loki (Marvel), Protective Tony Stark, Secret Relationship, The Avengers are the best sort of friend, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Tony and Loki against Asgard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 11:26:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13786599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: Loki has been imprisoned in Asgard and sentenced to death. Tony isn’t about to let that happen, and desperate times call for desperate measures.





	With our backs to the wall

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! Uni is also back this week though, so don't expect me to be putting up stories at the same rate that I managed over Christmas. The title is from 'Ready Aim Fire' by Imagine Dragons, from the IM3 album Heroes Fall. 
> 
> Timeline for this is a bit... meh. I was thinking just before Ultron, except that SHIELD is still there, Tony still has his reactor and Odin is still king. Ah well.

When there are six superheroes living in one building things are always bound to get messy, even if said building is a literal skyscraper. There was always _some_ kind of crisis happening, whether it be an attack on the city or a kitchen appliance setting on fire, and despite the copious amounts of space they always seemed to congregate and cause the largest amount of havoc possible. Video game tournaments often ended in broken walls, board game tournaments were _worse_ , and Tony had been forced to ban Twister for the sake of national security.

All in all, Tony thought he’d seen everything, but walking into the common room to find a literal _party_ underway was not what he had been expecting at nine o’clock on a Tuesday morning. Sure, they’d had get togethers before, but not on the scale of an honest to god, college fraternity party only with less people. They had music and flashing lights and alcohol and - was Steve doing karaoke?

Yes. Yes, he was.

After quickly glancing at his phone to make sure that it _was_ Tuesday morning and he hadn’t spent a whole week in the workshop by accident (hey, it was known to happen), Tony crossed the lounge to where Clint and Natasha were leaning against the couch, cheering as Steve belted out Queen.

"What's the occasion?" Tony asked, staring in shock as Bruce actually threw back what looked like a glass of Natasha's vodka. 

"Asgard has Loki in custody," said Clint, his grin so wide that his eyes were crinkling. "Thor sent a message about an hour ago. The bastard’s been sentenced to execution." 

Tony felt something punch him in the chest, and he took in one deep, gasping breath before whispering hoarsely– “What?”

“I know,” Clint crowed, raising his glass of beer before taking a large gulp. “The world is a brighter place without him!”

 _Brighter?_ No. Tony felt like the world was closing in around him, like there was darkness creeping in from the corners of the room. Tony had only spoken to Loki the night before - he was going to _Vanaheim_ , not Asgard, he was only going to collect some trinket or another from a merchant he knew. There should have been no risk, there was no way that Asgard should have known where he was. Loki had said he would be back by lunchtime _today_. He should have been coming back to the Tower to watch a stupid movie and complain about Tony’s music choices and team up with JARVIS to make Tony go to bed at a decent hour.

“He’s been sentenced to death?” Tony croaked.

“He deserves worse,” Natasha said calmly, conversationally, like they weren’t discussing the death of the person that Tony held most dear.

But of course, none of the Avengers knew that. None of them knew that Loki had shown up in Tony’s newly repaired house in Malibu while Thor was dealing with that _thing_ in England, broken and beaten and asking if he could cash in that drink Tony had offered him in New York. None of them knew anything about how Loki had just kept on showing up, even after Thor had learned that he was definitely not dead and the Avengers had begun hunting him along with practically the rest of the Nine Realms. And no one knew about those nights on the couch, in the workshop, in their bed, when they had grown closer first as friends but then as something so much more. The teasing jokes, the trusting smiles, the stolen kisses, the loving touches—

None of them knew, precisely because Tony understood exactly how the team felt about Loki.

And now they were celebrating Loki’s imminent execution.

“I have to talk to Thor,” Tony said, backing away from the couch.

“He’s in Asgard,” said Natasha. “He’s not going to leave until it’s done. He said he’d report back, after.”

“I don’t care,” Tony snapped. “I need to see him. He still has his phone, right?”

“Yes, but—“

Tony cut off Clint’s confused answer with a dismissive wave and headed straight to the elevator, phone already in hand. Thor hadn’t wanted a phone at first, believing the technology to be primitive and demanding instead that they communicate with him via raven. But after a lengthy explanation about how Midgardian ravens couldn’t fly between realms and a demonstration of how to use the device to order large amounts of pizza, he had agreed to use the specially upgraded and reinforced StarkPhone Tony had given him.

Knowing an ordinary message wouldn’t cut it, not if Thor was preparing for the execution of his brother, Tony quickly typed out an SOS and a request to meet on the roof before heading up himself.

If he was being honest, Tony didn't have a plan, and he didn't have any clue as to what he could say. All he knew was that he would do and say _whatever_ it took for him to get to Asgard, because if he didn't... 

_He had to get to Asgard._

For all he knew, Loki was already dead. How quickly did they carry out sentences in Asgard? All Tony could think about was Loki’s admittance that he hadn’t even received a proper trial the last time, and that the only thing that had stopped him from immediate execution then had been his mother’s words. His mother wasn’t there to save him any more. But Tony would get there. He had to.

“Man of Iron!” Thor exclaimed as he landed on the roof in a flash of lightning, his eyes simultaneously worried and spirited in that way that only Thor could ever manage. “You told me that there was a matter of grave importance, of life and death– what do you need help with?”

“Sorry, Thor,” said Tony with a grimace. “I might have misled you–“ though he hadn’t _lied_ “–but I promise, this is important. I need you to take me to Asgard.”

Thor frowned. “I cannot. It is forbidden for mortals to—“

“I don’t care,” Tony growled, but he stopped himself from going any further, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He couldn’t afford Thor to get angry with him and leave. Thor was literally the only chance he had, and he couldn’t risk screwing it up. “Okay, sorry. But look, didn’t you say Jane went up there once?”

“There were extenuating circumstances,” Thor replied, his frown still in place. “Jane was dying.”

 _And now Loki is dying!_ Tony wanted to shout, but he knew it wouldn’t help.

“These _are_ extenuating circumstances,” he said instead. “This is about Loki.”

“My brother is to be executed at dawn,” Thor said, his voice strained, and Tony froze because that was _too soon_. But Thor didn’t seem to notice. “I know not why this means you must come to Asgard, but if it is information you seek, I can ask him any questions you desire and relay his answers. I would not trust his words, however, now more than ever.”

“I don’t want to just talk to him,” Tony replied, his mind whirring, a plan inspired by Thor’s suggestion knitting together from the tiniest of threads. “I don’t think there _is_ any information we could get from him, but we will need to _see_ him.”

Thor cocked his head. “Why?”

“Because he’s committed crimes on this planet,” Tony said quickly. “You know that better than anyone. He conspired to help destroy New York, he tried to take over our planet, and he’s killed thousands of humans. And didn’t he destroy that town in New Mexico as well? I think I heard Clint talk about that.”

“And he will pay for this,” Thor said, though he spoke as if he were reciting someone else’s words. “He has been sentenced in regard to _all_ of his crimes. It is not often that prisoners are executed upon Asgard, but with all that my brother has done—“

“And I’m not arguing that,” Tony interrupted. “Nor am I denying Asgard’s right to carry out the punishment. He is one of you, after all.”

“Well,” said Thor, “he is not exactly of Asgard. He _is_ my brother, but he is not—“

“I am not asking for extradition,” Tony cut in before Thor could start talking about _that_ particular sore spot. “All I’m saying is that, logically, there should be a representative from Earth to witness the… execution of his sentence, as it were.”

“To witness it?” Thor asked. “You do not trust that we will carry out the punishment effectively?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, buddy,” Tony said soothingly. “I _do_. But to be fair, Asgard has been in this situation once before, and he managed to escape then.”

“He did not escape,” Thor said sheepishly. “I let him out.”

“And then he faked his death, I know,” Tony replied. “But the point is that he saw the opportunity and he took it. This time he’s going to be even more desperate, and he’s going to try everything he can. And again, I’m not saying I don’t trust you,” Tony added quickly at Thor’s insulted look, “ _I_ do. But there are those on Earth that will want to know for _sure_.”

“You’re talking about SHIELD,” said Thor, and Tony hadn’t, actually, he’d been making stuff up on the spot, but he nodded regardless.

“Yeah. They’ll want to know for sure that Loki’s gone, and they will want someone from Earth to confirm it.”

“I could confirm it,” said Thor. “I am an Avenger.”

“Yes,” said Tony. “And we would vouch for you, but the fact of the matter is that you aren’t from Earth. Trust me, this happens all the time here between different countries. It’s not personal, it’s just politics. We need one of our _own_ to confirm it.”

Thor seemed to think it over, and Tony smiled. Because if Thor was thinking it meant that he _agreed_ , and he was only trying to work out how it would go over on Asgard.

“All right,” Thor said after a moment. “I will bring the Avengers to Asgard to act as Midgard’s ambassadors in this matter.” He then swept past Tony and headed down into the Tower, presumably to inform the rest of the Avengers.

“JARVIS,” Tony said quickly as he chased after him, recognising what a disaster _that_ was going to be. “Warn them.”

Thankfully, by the time the elevator doors opened and Tony and Thor stepped out into the common room, the music and lights were gone, the alcohol had been hidden who knows where and the four Avengers were sitting on the couches in the living room, looking a little worse for wear but otherwise with expressions of innocence plastered over their faces.

“Thor, congrats,” said Clint, as full of tact as ever.

“We are sorry for your imminent loss, however,” said Natasha, elbowing Clint in the ribs.

“That’s kind of why Thor’s here,” said Tony, eager to get things moving. “We’re going to be ambassadors.”

When the Avengers just frowned in confusion, Tony nudged Thor and told him to explain.

“You want us to _what_?” Steve asked when Thor had finished.

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with watching someone get their head chopped off, no matter who it is,” said Bruce with a grimace.

“Actually,” said Thor, “In Asgard we do not often practice decapitation. And as—“

“You don’t do that Viking thing, do you?” asked Bruce, looking a little green for all the wrong reasons. “The one with the ribs and the—“

“ _No,_ ” Thor stressed, looking a little appalled himself. “I was about to explain that, as a prince of Asgard, no matter how disgraced, Loki has the privilege of choosing his own manner of death.”

“Not sure that’s a privilege,” said Steve. “I certainly wouldn’t want to be forced to contemplate such a thing.”

“It’s a special brand of torture,” Tony muttered, knowing his complexion probably matched Bruce’s.

“What did he chose?” asked Clint, his expression one of morbid fascination.

Tony turned away, not wanting to know, but he couldn’t drown out Thor’s answer.

“My brother has chosen the knife,” said Thor, and his voice was pained. “He wishes for me to do it.”

“A knife to the heart by his own brother,” Natasha said, disgusted. “Hurting those close to him right to the end.”

Well, Tony had to admit that did sound like Loki, though he thought it _was_ rather poetic. But it wouldn’t happen, so that didn’t matter.

“We’re wasting time,” he interrupted, turning back to face them all. “We need to get going.” And he was irritated by the fact that it had to be a ‘we,’ but he knew he couldn’t complain. It was better than nothing.

“Indeed,” Thor agreed. “The execution is set for only a few hours time.”

“What!” Tony yelped, causing the others to look at him in confusion. “I just mean– Thor, you said it was at _dawn_!”

“Yes,” said Thor. “But time runs differently here than it does in Asgard. You have different times on your planet, yes?”

Tony groaned at his own stupidity. Of _course_ Asgard didn’t run in the same time zone as New York. God, how arrogant was he to assume that?

“How long?” asked Steve, getting to his feet.

“Four hours,” said Thor, and Tony had to steady himself. But it was fine. If they left now, he had plenty of time. It was fine.

“Right,” Tony said aloud. “I need to grab some stuff. But if we’re only going to be there a few hours I guess we don’t have to bring clothes or anything– what _does_ one wear to an execution?”

“Anything would be fine,” said Thor, looking a little bemused by the sudden change of subject. “Most of Asgard is unaware of how Midgardian clothing has changed these last centuries, and they would not know if what you are wearing is appropriate or not.”

“Uniforms, then,” said Steve.

“You want him to recognise us?” Natasha asked shrewdly.

“Not specifically,” Steve replied. “I want _Asgard_ to recognise us. We’re here to protect the planet, right? This is an opportunity to remind another planet of who we are– one that is not likely to repeat itself.”

“Uniforms it is,” said Tony. “Great. I will get a suit. Give me five minutes.” He went to leave, but Thor called him back.

“It would be best if you do not bring the suit,” he said. “While most weapons would be welcome on Asgard, one as formidable as yours—“

“Are you saying that my suit is too awesome for Asgard?” Tony said. Usually he’d be chuffed, but right now it was just inconvenient. “You heard what Steve said, we should _flaunt_ the awesome.”

“We should all leave our weapons here,” said Natasha, nodding to Thor. “We’re going in peace, after all.”

Steve and Clint agreed, and Thor inclined his head.

“I guess Bruce and I are just in civvies then,” Tony sighed. “Right, whatever. Everyone, meet on the roof in five.”

Bruce and Clint looked a little wobbly when they rose, but they put on brave faces and headed straight for their rooms. Tony went straight for his workshop. Natasha may have said no weapons, but there was no way in hell that he was going to stick to that.

He grabbed two of his newly developed wristbands, designed to look like one of those new electronic touch screen watches but actually unfolded to cover his hands in a fingerless gauntlet, complete with repulsor. Each one had its own extra-miniaturised reactor inside, giving it enough power, he hoped, to take out an Asgardian.

Without his suit, they would have to do.

Except, maybe he could…

After grabbing one extra thing from a bench and strapping it to his forearm, Tony then headed to his room. He changed into loose slacks, one of his crisper band shirts and a black jacket - something that looked decent enough for a somewhat formal occasion and yet flexible enough to fight in.

“Right,” he said, getting to the roof and realising that he had taken longer than any of the others - and _how_ Steve and Natasha always managed to pull themselves into those tight outfits in under a minute was one of the greatest mysteries of the century. “We’re all ready, then?”

When they all nodded, Thor turned to Tony.

“Are we going to get the quinjet out to the—“

“We can just go from here,” Tony said.

Thor gave him an odd look. “In the past, you have always complained about the markings the Bifröst leaves on your building.”

“It’s _fine_ ,” Tony stressed. “Let’s just go.”

Thor shrugged, and raised his hammer. “Heimdall!” he shouted.

And then the world exploded with colour as a rainbow of light smashed down into them.

It was amazing.

Tony’s eyes were wide open as they were sucked through the heavens, his mind skittering through theories and equations and—

Then just as quickly as it had started they all slammed into the ground, only Thor keeping his feet with ease and Natasha managing to not fall with a little hop forward.

Clint groaned, and Tony was rather impressed that he hadn’t vomited. He certainly wouldn’t have wanted to experience the Bifröst after the morning Clint’d had.

“Whoa,” said Bruce, his expression full of awe as he rolled off the floor. “That was _fantastic_. Tony, we have to—“

“Yes,” said Tony. “We do. Definitely. Later though, remember, we have an alien planet to see.”

“Oh,” said Bruce, his face shifting to something between amazement and wariness. “Yeah, we do.”

“Thor,” someone said then, and Tony pulled himself up properly and noticed for the first time that they weren’t alone. Standing in the middle of the room with a giant ass sword, a helmet that was just as gaudy as Loki’s and the creepiest eyes Tony had ever seen was, he assumed, Heimdall. “You have brought company.”

“They are ambassadors from Midgard,” Thor said with a nonchalant shrug.

“Odin will not be pleased,” Heimdall warned.

Thor smiled crookedly. “He rarely is.”

As they walked down the Bifröst Tony was rather impressed that Steve’s eyes managed to actually stay inside his head, what with how wide they were. Clint was squeaking, and Bruce had crossed his arms over his chest like he was worried that something was going to jump out of the golden buildings and turn him into the Hulk.

“You seem calm,” said Natasha, sidling up to Tony.

“Do I?” Tony asked. “Shouldn’t I be? Should I be panicking, because Loki threw me out a window and we’re going to see him, or should I be panicking because the last time I left Earth was—“

“Well, I expected you to be excited,” she said, her eyes narrowed.

“Well obviously,” Tony agreed, quickly catching on to what she was saying. “I am excited, and I promise you that I will be taking readings and videos and testing the hell out of stuff while we’re here. But I am just too classy to show that I am super excited when walking into a place for the first time.”

Natasha bought it, but Tony knew it was probably only a matter of time. In all honesty, he couldn’t find it in himself to be excited, even though this was an advanced alien society and he had been pestering Loki for _months_ to bring him something from out of space to play with. Sometimes, Loki had even done it, but Tony had never got his hands on something Asgardian. But with all that was happening, Tony was struggling to muster up so much as smile.

And it hurt, seeing his friends so laid back and happy and excited, because he knew that whatever happened, they would hate him in just a few short hours.

Hopefully, he would live to see it.

Thor, in the end, didn’t take them to see Odin like they had been expecting. Instead, he took them straight to a large suite of rooms, decked out with just as much gold as the rest of the palace and full of comfortable chairs.

“Wait here,” he told them. “I will speak to my father of your presence. It is unlikely he will wish to meet with you, but I believe I will convince him to allow you to watch the execution if I explain this as the political matter it is.”

“All right,” said Steve, clapping Thor on the shoulder.

When Thor went to leave, Tony caught his shoulder and asked him quietly– “Is Loki locked in a room as nice as this one, or do we have special guest privileges?”

Thor frowned. “Why would we place a prisoner in a similar room to guests?”

Tony shrugged sheepishly. “Just wondering. He is a prince, after all.”

“Loki is in a secure cell, under the palace,” Thor said. “Rest assured that he will not get out.”

“That’s not—“ Tony started, but stopped himself when he realised that, once again, Thor had provided him with an excuse for his otherwise suspicious behaviour. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly instead.

Thor smiled softly. “It is all right. I understand that it is hard for you to be here. But know that you are safe here. I will not allow any harm to come to any of you.”

Something twisted in Tony’s gut, but he gritted his teeth and smiled through it.

“Thanks, Thor.”

“You’re welcome.”

It was awkward, at first, all of them sitting around, feeling a little on edge in the unfamiliar place and unsure of what to say after being so suddenly relocated to another freaking planet. Then Steve said something about wondering what Asgardians did for entertainment and then Clint was over by the window, practically climbing out of it as he tried to get a view of the city.

“Do you think that’s a baseball pitch?” he asked, pointing at something in the distance that Tony couldn’t have seen if he’d tried.

“As much as I wish it were,” Steve replied, squinting out into the gleaming gold brilliance of Asgard’s nightlife, “I doubt that they have that here.”

“They’re a warrior culture right?” asked Natasha, joining them. “Maybe it’s a gladiator arena. That could be fun.”

“No, it wouldn’t be,” said Bruce.

Seeing that they were sufficiently distracted, Tony edged his way to the door, but he never had been particularly sneaky and he only succeeded in knocking an expensive looking vase off a pedestal.

“Oops,” he muttered, looking down at the broken shards before glancing up at the Avengers guiltily. “I’m sure I’ll be able to pay Thor back for it,” he said.

“Where were you going?” asked Natasha, raising an eyebrow.

“I was going to go and explore,” Tony said. “Yeah, that’s it. It’s an alien planet Natasha, there’s so much to see.”

“So _now_ you’re excited?” she asked.

Tony nodded. “Yes. Exactly.”

“Awesome,” said Bruce. “I’ll go with you.”

“No!” Tony exclaimed, and Natasha’s eyebrow rose higher. “I mean, Bruce, you know I love sciencing with you, but—“

“You want to do your exploring alone?” Natasha asked, and Tony sighed.

“I just need to get out,” he said. “You know, being here, it’s…” He sent Natasha a pleading look, and it really wasn’t hard to put enough desperation in there for her to nod in agreement.

“All right, Tony,” she said. “If anyone comes back, we’ll try and cover for you.”

“Thank you,” Tony replied, relieved, though he did feel a little guilty for the manipulation. But he didn’t have a– no, that was a lie. He did have a choice, but with his back to a wall and a knife to his throat, Tony knew that he would choose Loki, no matter what. And so he shot a reassuring smile to the rest of the team and headed out of the room and into the golden hallway, his resolve just as strong as ever.

Now for the hard part.

He knew from Thor that Loki was in the dungeons below the palace, so logically all Tony had to do was find some steps and head down. Unfortunately, being a palace, the place had a _lot_ of steps, and it didn’t take long before Tony was hopelessly lost.

“Just keep going down,” he muttered to himself. “Keep going down.”

He managed to successfully dodge all the guards and servants and some other people that looked like they might have been important and honestly he was probably doing a good job.

But there were so many _fucking_ stairs.

There was one moment when Tony had gone down one set of stairs, gone down another set, turned a few corners and then he swore he was back at the first lot stairs. It was infuriating.

Tony knew that there was a point where it would become necessary to change tack, and Tony thought he had probably passed it a long time ago. He was going to run out of time.

When the next set of guards walked past, Tony decided to actually talk to them instead of hiding.

“Hi,” he said, ducking out of the doorway he’d jumped into when he’d heard the footsteps. “Are you guys here to help, or…?”

“Who are you?” asked one of the guards, his eyes flashing below his ridiculous helmet - and what the hell was it with Asgard and these helmets? In comparison, Loki's was almost  _subtle._

“You are mortal,” the other guard answered before Tony had a chance. “Mortals are not permitted inside Asgard!”

“No, I am permitted,” said Tony, holding up a hand and speaking quickly. “Thor said that he was going to talk to Odin about it—“

“How did a mortal get inside Asgard?” One guard asked the other, and Tony had already been having problems working out which was which so he just gave up trying.

“Thor let me in, weren’t you listening?” he asked.

“We’re going to take you to the Allfather,” came the reply. “Come quietly, and you will not be harmed.”

“Oh for fucks sake,” Tony growled. Pulling out the repulsor on his right hand he shot one of the guards in the head, and then held his glowing palm directly in front of the other one’s face. “Now,” he said, and the guard turned away from his unconscious buddy to stare at Tony with wide eyes. “Where are the dungeons?”

This time, Tony ran through the corridors, only stopping to dodge the guards that were left. He knew it was only a matter of time before the unconscious guards were found - he’d been able to shove them in a closet, but it was unlikely that they wouldn’t be missed.

The dungeons were annoyingly easy to find with the right instructions, and there were only two guards at the entrance which were easily dealt with. Then Tony was in, getting through the electronic lock through the simple process of ripping the panel out of the wall. _Advanced tech my ass_. Maybe Asgard just never expected someone to be breaking in to the dungeon from the outside?

But Loki wasn’t in any of the cells. There were a few very strange looking creatures, including one guy with actual proper horns, and another who was entirely blue. It was like something out of Star Trek and Tony made sure to keep his eyes forward as he quickly paced through the place, looking for another door maybe, or—

There! In the back of the room, two more guards with huge swords and stern looks on their faces.

“Hi fellas!” Tony exclaimed, two repulsors already in hand. “Would you mind opening that door for me?”

The guards drew their swords, but they hit the floor before they’d taken a step forward, and Tony opened the door to the cheers of the onlooking prisoners.

There were two more guards on the other side, and the single occupant of the single cell shouted an unneeded warning. Tony took the first down quickly but these two were not surprised. They had been alerted to an intruder by the noise outside, and the second guard met Tony’s blast with his sword.

“Mortal,” the soldier hissed. “How did a mortal get in here?”

“Is it the uniform that makes you lot the same, or were you all bred from a bottle?” Tony asked cheerfully, ducking under a blow by sending the guard off balance with a blast from his other hand.

“You will regret breaking in here,” the guard snarled, and Tony shook his head.

“No, I don’t think I will.”

One repulsor shot at his head with the left hand for the guard to block, one to his knee with the right hand to hit its mark, and the guard went down.

“I’m here at the invitation of the crown prince, you know,” Tony said pleasantly. “Make sure you tell Thor who knocked you out when you wake up, he still teases me about that fight we had in a forest. Which I won, by the way.”

The Asgardian looked like he was going to get back up, but another couple blasts and he fell silent, and Tony’s attention was immediately drawn elsewhere.

“Loki!” Tony exclaimed as he ran up to the cell. There was no visible panel on this one, but it only took one repulsor blast and the shimmering barrier fell with the noise of a computer going offline. He gestured to Loki immediately. “Come on, let’s go!”

“What are you doing here?” Loki hissed, backing away until he hit the wall of his cell. “You need to leave, they’ll catch you!”

“I’m not leaving without you,” Tony said, stepping into the cell himself. Then Loki surged forward, pushing at Tony’s shoulders until he was back outside.

“No,” Loki snapped. “I won’t let them get you, too!”

“They won’t if you come now! The longer we’re just standing here the less time—“

“You don’t know,” Loki groaned, looking away and tightening his fists by his side. “You have no idea of what they will do to keep me here. They’ll forgo the execution and kill me straight out, and they’ll kill _you_ too. And I will _not_ allow that to happen.”

“Well _I’m_ not letting them execute you,” said Tony. “So if you’re not coming with me, then I’m staying here with you, and I guess I’ll be locked up for attacking all the guards on my way in.” Tony charged his repulsor and aimed it at one of the downed guard’s head, mentally apologising to the guy as he did so. “You never know. Maybe I killed one of them.”

Loki snarled and moved forward again, grabbing Tony’s arm and wrenching it away from its target. Tony let it power down and touched his fingers to Loki’s wrist, unable to hold on properly because of the weapons but needing some contact.

“I love you, Loki,” he said softly, and something in Loki’s determined gaze snapped.

“Anthony,” he whispered, his voice harsh and sad. “You can’t.”

“I do,” Tony insisted. “Loki, I _do_ , and I know that you know it. How can you not, after everything?”

Loki’s eyes were watering, and his lips were trembling. “You need to leave me,” he said, but the fight was gone from his voice.

“You know that I _can’t_.”

A sob tore from Loki’s chest, and then he was stepping forward, pressing his lips to Tony’s and kissing him with a desperation that spoke of anguish and fear and maybe even love of his own. But it most certainly wasn’t a goodbye, and Tony took solace from that.

“Please,” he whispered against Loki’s lips, broken and pleading, and finally, Loki nodded.

Away from the magic-blocking cell, Loki was able to use his magic to disguise them as two guards – Einherjar, Loki called them – and they moved back through the palace without contest.

“You’re going to need to direct us,” Tony said. “You have a way back home that isn’t the Bifröst, right?”

“Of course,” said Loki. “However, the area where Asgard and Midgard are closest is, unfortunately, at the base of the Bifröst. We will still have to go in that direction.”

Tony swore.

“You see?” said Loki. “We will not—“

“ _Yes we will_ ,” Tony snarled. “We are getting out of here, all right? Just keep your illusion up.”

The alarm sounded just as they reached the palace gates, Einherjar streaming from wherever they hid during the day and filling the corridors. It meant that their camouflage was almost more effective than before– except that it also highlighted the fact that Tony and Loki were headed in the wrong direction.

“You two!” one of the soldiers shouted. “Stop what you are doing, all Einherjar are ordered to the dungeon! Loki has escaped!”

“Again,” someone muttered in the crowd, and Tony saw Loki’s lips quirk.

“We’ve been given orders,” Tony started, but the soldier who had spoken to them first shook his head.

“You should know protocol. This takes precedence.”

“We’re going to defend the Bifröst,” Loki cut in. “It is unlikely that Loki will head that way, but it would be unwise to leave it undefended. We’re to assist Heimdall.”

“Oh,” said the soldier, frowning. “Well, all right then. On your way.”

“Good thinking,” Tony whispered as they carried on. “That could have been—“

“Make way!” Someone shouted from behind them. “We are to secure the Bifröst!”

Tony glanced behind him to see literally all the Einherjar staring in their direction, while a huge man with an orange beard, two other dudes and a girl looked on with confused suspicion.

Loki swore, grabbed Tony by the arm, and ran.

“Who was that?” Tony asked, gasping with exertion as Loki pulled him into an alley and shifted their appearances back to normal.

“Volstagg,” Loki replied, “With Hogun, Fandral, and Sif. Thor’s friends.”

“Crap,” said Tony.

“You can still get out of this,” Loki said, holding Tony’s upper arms and looking at him square on, his face a picture of desperation. “I’ll go out there, tell them I took you as a hostage—“

“Loki,” Tony growled, “You’re not _getting_ it. I love you, okay? I said that before, I know I did, I wouldn’t have imagined that. Do you get what that means?”

Loki searched Tony’s face, his eyes flickering. “I think I do,” Loki said. “But that’s why I can’t just let you—“

“And I can’t just let _you,”_ Tony said, his tone going soft. “I’m not leaving without you, okay? We’re going to get through this together. Together, or not at _all_.”

“Together, then,” Loki said firmly, and Tony pressed their lips together again quickly, all too aware that it might be their last chance.

“Then let’s do this,” Tony said. “I’ve always wanted to run for my life from an army of immortal space Vikings.”

“This is worse than when Thor got me out,” Loki sighed, but he summoned his armour and lifted his hand to stroke Tony’s cheek one last time, his eyes blazing with determination.

The moment they stepped out of the alley they were met by a volley of Einherjar, every single one wielding round shields and a variety of sharp looking implements. Loki summoned two daggers with a flick of his wrists and he used them with ruthless efficiency, ducking and weaving and slicing with a grace that spoke of centuries of practice. Tony knew he probably looked clunky in comparison, but his repulsors blew holes in the Einherjar’s ranks and they broke through, sprinting around another corner, through another group, and out into the main streets of Asgard, only to find that they, too were full of not only guards, but the group of Thor’s friends that they had seen earlier.

“We must reach the Bifröst,” Loki said as he twisted around Tony to catch a guard that tried to attack him from behind.

“Our only other hope would be to get to Vanaheim or Alfheim and then to Midgard from there, but the pathways to step through Yggdrasil to get to them are too far, we will not make it.”

“The Bifröst it is,” Tony agreed, shooting over Loki’s shoulder and then shifting left as Loki lashed out around his other side. “If we can’t get to your pathway thing—“

“We have to,” Loki repeated. “Heimdall will not—“

“I have a plan,” Tony said. “A desperate, stupid plan, but if we can’t get to your pathway, we need to be _on_ the Bifröst when they catch up to us.”

“Loki!” It was a challenge, issued from the woman. Sif. She was standing in between Hogun and Fandral, and the Einherjar around them paused in their attack at the sight of them. “You will not get out of this, Loki!”

Loki nodded firmly to Tony before turning to face her, his eyes flashing a brighter green for a fraction of a second. “Oh, but I will,” he said, and then he lunged forward - and so did four other Lokis which appeared in a shimmer of green.

Tony didn’t have the advantage of magic but he moved as well, raising his repulsors before the two guys could get around Loki’s flank.

“You are one of Thor’s mortal friends,” Fandral said, raising his sword. “I do not wish to hurt you.”

“Well,” said Tony, shrugging without lowering his hands. “You’re welcome to put down your sword and walk away from this. I’m not going to _make_ you hurt me.”

Fandral shook his head in seeming dismay. “Ah, but I believe that you are.”

Tony smirked. “Maybe. Or maybe I’ll be the one doing the hurting.”

“A challenge!” Fandral exclaimed. “Excellent!”

“Oh by the Norns,” Hogun sighed, his mace still by his side. “Are either of you going to actually—“

“For Asgard!” shouted Volstagg, running up from behind the other two and swinging his absolutely huge axe.

Tony blasted him back with two hands, and then Fandral was on him, dancing with his sword in such a way that Tony could not counter it. Tony hurried backward, firing where he could and cursing Thor for not letting him bring a suit.

But Tony had an ace up his sleeve - quite literally. He pulled the small grenade from the pouch he’d strapped to his forearm, and threw it at Fandral’s feet. It was enough to send the swordsman staggering but not enough to distract Hogun, who leapt past his friend and swung his mace. Now, Hogun was not as direct as Volstagg but he was still not as swift as Fandral, and Tony was able to move to the left and land a hit on Hogun’s side. But then he felt something crack against his skull and fell in a heap on the ground, his ears ringing.

He heard a shout and saw a flash of green, and by the time Tony had pulled himself back to the present, one of the Lokis was standing over him, a stream of green magic holding Volstagg to the ground.

Realising that the axe must have caught the side of his head while he was focused on Hogun, Tony quickly rushed back to his feet.

Sif, meanwhile, had dispatched the rest of the clones while Loki’s attention was on Volstagg, and joined Hogun and Fandral as they stalked toward Loki and Tony. She was looking worse for wear, with a slice on her cheek that was dripping blood and a bit of a limp, but she only looked all the angrier for it.

“We’re outnumbered,” Tony said, and Loki nodded, letting up his assault on Volstagg with a tired gasp. “And that’s not even counting all these bloody Einherjar.”

“We need to get out of here,” Loki said.

“No shit, Sherlock.” Tony ignored Loki’s incredulous glare and cast his gaze around quickly for ideas. “Right. You still have enough energy in you for another attack?”

“Yes.” Loki nodded. “Have you got something else?”

“When I say,” Tony said, “Give them everything you have. Then we need to run.”

“Are you going to give up _now_ , Loki?” Sif snarled, her grip shifting over her sword.

“I don’t think so,” said Loki, frowning in mock consideration. “Anthony?”

“Nah, not today,” Tony agreed, and then he flew forward again, repulsors blazing. They fought side by side against the onslaught that was Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, but as strong as he and Loki were they were nothing against the might of four of the best fighters Asgard had to offer. But Tony wasn’t done. He waited until the four warriors surrounded them, as any good warriors would– as Tony knew that they would.

“Now,” he whispered, and then he flicked a switch on both palms with his pinkies, held his arms across his chest and _spun_. Loki spun with him, keeping up an onslaught of his own and always staying ahead of the deadly lasers as they cut through metal and flesh. Sif raised her shield and Volstagg yelled, while Hogun and Fandral jumped for cover behind a golden wall that was already melting under the attack.

“All right, time to go!” Loki called, grabbing Tony’s arm once more to pull him away from the circle of injured Asgardians. Again, Tony felt a little guilty, but he knew that if they managed to get away, if he managed to keep Loki alive even just a little bit longer, then it would be worth it.

After their attack there were few Einherjar left in the area, and they made it the rest of the way down the main street near unchallenged, only cutting down a few more soldiers on the way. The Bifröst glowed bright and inviting in the slowly lifting darkness, and Tony sighed with relief at the sight of it.

The relief didn’t last long, however, for standing three quarters of the way down the bridge were four very familiar figures.

“Tony,” said Steve, standing as firm as a statue with his arms crossed and his feet shoulder-width apart.

“Ah crap,” Tony sighed. _Could it actually get any worse?_

Yes, yes it could, because a cacophony of noise behind them revealed not only the entire fucking Asgardian army marching onto the bridge, but also Thor, marching at their head with Odin beside him, the king perched atop a horse with a truly unnatural number of legs.

“I’m going to need you guys to let us pass,” Tony said, trying to stand causal while readying himself for the inevitable fight.

“You shall not—“ Clint started in what was probably supposed to be a Gandalf voice – and okay, Tony had set himself up for that one – but he was cut off by Natasha.

“You really like him, don’t you?” She said, nodding to Tony’s side. “Loki, I mean.”

Tony nodded firmly. “Yes,” he said. “And I’m willing to go through you guys if I have to, but I really would prefer to—“

“Tony,” said Steve, but Tony kept going.

“Don’t even try Steve, I know as well as you what he’s done, okay? But I love him anyway, and I’m not going to let that one eyed bastard kill him for it! I won’t let him!”

“Anthony,” said Loki, his hands already glowing green. “Perhaps you should step to the side, allow me to do this. I can promise you that I will not harm them permanently, and I would save you from—“

“No,” Tony snapped. “If they’re standing between us then I’ll be able to cope. Trust me.”

Loki’s gaze was pained, and Tony knew that he didn’t agree. And okay no, Tony knew that he was not going to enjoy this in the slightest, the Avengers were his _friends_. But he meant what he said. If they were going to stand in the way of Loki’s _life_ , then his choice was clear.

“Tony, just listen for a moment,” said Bruce, walking forward, and it was because of the fact that Bruce’s eyes were calm and his skin completely void of green that Tony paused. “We aren’t here to stop you. We want to _help_.”

“You want to _what_?” Tony yelped.

“We heard the chaos,” Natasha explained, “And we saw what was happening from our window. We knew you would head here, and we knew you would need the help.”

“We know what he’s done,” said Steve, “And you know as well as anyone how glad we were to hear that he was gone. But Tony, you should have said something. Knowing now how much he means to you – how much he _must_ mean to you for you to be doing what you are…” Steve’s gaze lingered on the gap between the two of them which was only a hairsbreadth wide, on the way that Tony was leaning towards Loki without even thinking about it, on the way that Loki’s fingers flickered toward Tony protectively and lovingly like they were constantly trying to hold on and never let go. “Tony, you’re our _friend_. We could never deny you something like that.”

Tony gaped. “You… what?”

“Your friends remain on your side, Anthony,” said Loki, rolling his eyes. “Now, _move_. We have little time.”

“We’ll cover you,” said Clint, and although he looked at Loki like he wanted to shoot an arrow in his eye, Tony smiled gratefully at him. Except—

“You don’t have any weapons,” Tony remembered.

Natasha snorted and pulled a handgun from… from _somewhere_. Clint did the same, and Steve, looking a little sheepish, hit his wristwatch to reveal the tangible holographic shield Tony had made him in a few nights of boredom.

“Ah,” said Tony, and Loki chuckled.

“Oh, I like you,” Loki said, eyeing them all, though his gaze remained wary when it caught on Bruce.

“Go on then,” said Steve, nodding toward the end of the Bifröst. “We’ll watch your six, Tony.”

“Thank you,” Tony said, his voice full of an emotion he wasn’t sure he could name. “Honestly, I don’t think anyone has ever—“

“Hey.” Steve smiled softly. “That’s what teammates do. That’s what _friends_ do.”

Tony and Loki took only a few steps before Loki hissed. Heimdall was standing at the entrance to the Bifröst, the point of his sword - giant even by Asgardian standards - resting threateningly against the bridge.

“Loki!” Odin’s voice boomed. “There is nowhere for you to go!”

“Your pathway?” Tony asked desperately.

“It’s under the bridge,” Loki muttered, “by the Bifröst. Usually I would use a ship, but I had hoped we could climb—“

“It’s all right,” Tony sighed, even though they both knew that it wasn’t. “We’ll get through this.”

“Together,” Loki agreed, and their gazes caught, saying more than their words ever could.

“Together,” Steve echoed, and the rest of the team nodded in agreement.

They stood in a loose horseshoe, Loki and Tony at the head with Steve and Clint to Tony’s left, and Natasha and Bruce to Loki’s right. They presented a united front, unbowed by the might of Asgard marching their way, and Thor’s eyes widened at the sight.

“Avengers,” he said, though his heart was clearly not in his words. “You must stand down.”

“Nope, not happening,” said Tony, and a shadow fell over Odin’s face.

“You will do as my son commands,” Odin said, and Tony shuddered at the power in his voice. “Surrender, or you will suffer for your decision to stand with Loki.”

Loki twitched, but Tony remained unmoved. The power in Odin’s voice was unmistakable, but Tony knew that they could stand against it because Loki had before. And Tony _did_ have a plan, as he’d told Loki. A stupid, _desperate_ plan, but one that Tony had to hope would work, because if it didn’t… well, it didn’t bear thinking about.

“Hi,” said Tony, taking a small step forward so he was partially in front of Loki, a move he knew that neither Odin nor Thor would mistake. “I’m Tony Stark, defender of Earth, Avenger of… Justice. Or something. It’s nice to meet you– Odin, I presume?”

“You would dare speak to me, mortal?” Odin asked.

“Yeah,” said Tony. “In fact, I’m going to going to _tell_ you what’s about to happen.”

Odin’s expression soured even further and Tony felt Loki shift behind him, probably readying himself to grab Tony and pull him back. But Tony wasn’t done.

“You are going to let Loki go,” said Tony pleasantly, placing a hand to his chest and tearing at his shirt, revealing the reactor underneath. “Because if you don’t, I’m going to overload this reactor and throw it onto this precious bridge of yours, and trust me— it goes off with _ever_ such a _pretty_ bang.”

“Anthony,” Loki hissed. “Don’t. That would kill you.”

“Yes,” Tony agreed. “It would. But it would also destroy the Bifröst for the second time in five years, and I don’t think that the Nine Realms nor _Asgard_ would fare well after that, do you?”

“Stop this nonsense,” Odin commanded. “No Midgardian weapon could hope to damage the Bifröst. If you do not stand down, you shall all suffer the same fate as my _son_.” The last word was spat more than said, and Tony felt Loki flinch beside him.

“Actually, father,” said Thor, cutting off Tony’s snarky reply before it could even get off the ground. “Anthony Stark's words hold weight. He would kill himself in the process, but he could destroy more than just the Bifröst. The Man of Iron holds great power in his heart, and to defend the ones that he loves he will use it without thought.”

“Crown Prince Thor speaks the truth.” Tony jumped as Heimdall walked around from behind them to stand beside Odin. “I have watched these mortals from afar, and they have grown capable of many things. None more so than this one.”

Tony grinned harshly.

“You see?” he said. “I’ll do it. I _can_ , and I will.”

Tony wasn’t sure if it was continued arrogance or disbelief in Tony’s resolve, but Odin didn’t even flinch.

“Loki,” the king said, his voice deep and full of authority. “If you move away from the mortals now, I will grant them mercy.”

Tony was worried for a moment, but it seemed that his words had been taken to heart.

“I will not,” Loki said firmly.

“You _will_ ,” Odin ordered. “You may have twisted their thoughts so that they believe you are worth rescue, but the rest of us know what you have done. _You_ know what you have done. So come back to your proper place, and then—“

“I _am_ in my proper place,” Loki spat, and _this_ time Odin flinched back, probably not used to being interrupted. Loki shifted closer to stand beside Tony once more and, heedless of the repulsor still in his hand, linked their fingers together. “This is where I belong, Odin Allfather.”

“So be it,” Odin said. “Einherjar!”

Tony raised his free hand back to his chest, tightening his grip on Loki’s hand as he did so. His threat, as self-destructive as it was, had not been idle.

“No,” said Thor, and it was his calm tone, a direct contrast to Odin’s, that paused Tony’s movement. “Father, you must stop this!”

“You are not the master of what I can and cannot do,” Odin thundered, and Loki snorted softly, unnoticed by any but Tony.

“No,” said Thor. “I am not. But if you are going to set the Einjerhar on my friends and my _brother_ , then you will have to set them on me also.”

Odin looked confused only for the second it took Thor to move, standing on Loki’s other side.

“This is madness,” Sif exclaimed, she and the other three pushing their way to the front of the crowd. “Thor, you know what Loki has done! He has been sentenced according to Agardian law!”

“He has been sentenced according to  _Odin’s_ judgement,” Thor replied. “And I say that Odin was wrong.”

The collective gasp that went through the crowd of Einherjar on the bridge was almost comical, but Tony’s attention was drawn by Loki, who had snapped his gaze to Thor.

“What?” he whispered, and Thor looked to him fondly.

“You _have_ committed crimes, brother, many of them, and that much is most certainly not in dispute,” said Thor. “But I do not believe that what you have done deserves the punishment you were served, and I apologise for almost following through with it.” Then Thor turned to the assembled Asgardians. “My friends. I know that you believe my brother a villain, but do you not see? He has found redemption in this mortal, my friend, the Man of Iron.”

“I wouldn’t go that—“

“Shh,” Tony hissed, silencing Loki’s protest. “Thor’s on a roll, let him keep going.”

“If we were to carry out his execution, we would be committing a crime of our own, extinguishing a flame that had yet to extend all of its light throughout the Nine Realms. Loki still has the capability to do good, and I believe that as penance for his crimes he should be given the opportunity to do so.”

Heimdall, standing slightly behind Odin now, was grinning wide and proud. Odin himself was even more of a surprise, however– no longer angry, he almost looked _pensive_ , his eyes carefully travelling over Thor’s ready stance, lingering on where his fingers were shifting on Mjölnir’s handle, prepared to fight if need be but not overly threatening.

“Thor, my son,” said Odin, his voice entirely different than it had been when speaking to Loki. “You would have me pardon Loki?”

“No,” said Thor. “But I once invaded a planet, killed many of their people and almost started a war. Surely, for a similar crime, it would be fitting to give Loki a similar punishment?”

Odin smiled. Tony thought it was creepy, as unnatural as the bloody horse he was sitting on. “You would have me banish him?”

“I would have you send Loki to Midgard to atone for what he has done there, and for what he did to Jotunheim,” Thor replied. “I would have him work to keep the peace in the Realms, to work against the chaos he has caused in the past.”

There was a pause where Tony thought the whole of the Bifröst held its breath. Then Odin was nodding, _agreeing_ —

“You have learned much, my son,” said Odin, that creepy smile still in place while his single eye flashed with something that might have been satisfaction. “You have grown wise. I will follow your suggestion.” Odin turned to Loki, and although his tone and expression did not change, there was a coldness to his posture that was difficult to describe. “You are hereby banished from Asgard, to live amongst the other realms, to right the wrongs that you have committed.” Odin passed his eyes over the motely group before him, his eyes passing over Tony and settling on Steve, and Tony couldn’t help but be a little miffed. “I place you in the custody of these Avengers, warriors and ambassadors of Earth.”

“Thank you father,” said Thor, smiling at the outcome, and Odin turned his expectant gaze to Loki.

Loki nodded stiffly but did not display any gratitude, and Odin huffed before wheeling his horse around and riding through the Einherjar who jumped out of his way, only to form back up and follow him back toward the palace. Heimdall gave them all a smile before striding back to his end of the bridge.

“Thor,” said Sif, taking a small step forward. “You cannot possibly—“

“It is done, Sif,” Thor barked. Then his tone softened. “Go. I will return shortly. We may talk then.”

She didn’t look happy, but she nodded sharply and left, taking the three warriors with her.

And that was that.

Tony blinked in shock. Had that really just—

“It is just like Odin,” Loki growled, “To turn my punishment into a praise for Thor.”

“You’re not seriously _mad_ about this?” Tony asked disbelievingly. “You just got off with _community service_. On _Earth._ You’re going to come and _live_ with _me_. How is this bad thing, exactly?”

Loki turned, his annoyance melting away as he gazed at Tony. “Well,” Loki said, a true smile beginning to play at the corner of his lips. “I am going to have to put up with you for the foreseeable future. Without breaks.”

Tony rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t keep the grin from crossing his face. “Yeah, I’m sure that’ll be a chore.”

Loki smiled fondly and leaned forward, and Tony met him halfway. Their lips moved together softly, warmly, all of their previous desperation melting away as they shared their relief.

“You know,” said Loki, pulling back just slightly so that Tony could still feel Loki’s lips brushing his own. “I think I _will_ enjoy being back on Earth.”

“I’m glad,” said Tony, shifting forward, but Loki moved back slightly, keeping the tiniest sliver of air between them.

“I understood what you meant before, you know,” Loki said, and Tony smiled, because he _also_ understood.

“I know,” he assured him. Loki looked almost conflicted for a moment, but when he spoke, his words were sure.

“I do love you, too,” he said. “I do, and I understand. And… Thank you, for coming for me.”

“Loki,” Tony said, finally disengaging the repulsors in his palms to cup Loki’s cheek softly. “I can promise you that I always will.”

And when Tony leaned in this time Loki didn’t pull away, leaning in as well with a soft smile. It was chaste and short and perfect, and when it was done Tony leaned his forehead against Loki’s shoulder and just revelled in the fact that he was _safe_ , and that Asgard wouldn’t be trying to take Loki away from him ever again.

Loki sighed deeply and Tony felt him press his face into Tony’s hair, probably relieved, too, that they had made it out of the confrontation mostly unscathed. Tony’s head was still aching, and it hurt something awful now that the adrenaline was running low– and Loki was looking a little singed, but they had _survived_ , and they were together.

“This is going to take some getting used to,” said Clint. Tony lifted his head to see the archer wrinkling his nose, and Bruce nodded quickly in agreement. Steve, however, stepped forward with a soft smile, and he clapped his hand on Loki’s shoulder.

“It’ll be good to have you,” he said, tactfully ignoring the way Loki had flinched at the contact.

“Better than good!” Thor exclaimed, surging forward and wrapping his brother in a tight hug, pulling him away from Tony. “We’ll be comrades again! No one shall be able to stand in our way, lest they feel the might of our combined wrath!”

“Yes,” said Loki, pushing at Thor’s shoulder in a completely unsuccessful attempt to dislodge him. When Thor didn’t so much as budge, Loki cleared his throat. “Thor, desist.”

Thor pulled away, but the grin did not leave his face.

“It is truly wonderful to have you back, brother,” Thor said. Loki turned away, but Tony recognised the watery brightness in his green eyes. It would take a while, but he was sure that Loki would get there.

“Right,” said Bruce, clapping his hands together. “I know we all have a lot to talk about, but how do we get home? The Bifröst?”

Thor answered, but Tony was pulled out of the conversation.

“There _is_ something we need to talk about,” Loki said, looking to Tony with a frown. And Tony, knowing exactly what was coming, gulped.

“Well, you know, I wasn’t actually going to—“

“You would kill yourself?” Loki hissed.

“Well, the original plan was just to blackmail—“

“Do not patronise me, Anthony,” Loki snapped. “You were ready to do as you threatened.”

“Yeah,” said Tony, “And you would have done the same thing, had the situation been reversed.”

Loki looked away, but he didn’t deny it.

“Hey,” said Tony, gripping Loki’s chin and pulling his gaze back down. “Come on. You admitted it.”

Loki smiled a small smile. “I love you,” he said, and Tony smiled back.

“Yes,” he agreed. “And I love you, too.” Then he pulled Loki down for a searing kiss, and the god gladly returned it before pulling away all too soon. But he entwined their fingers together, ensuring that they did not completely lose their contact.

And Tony knew that they still had a long way to go. He knew they were going to have to talk more about what happened today, about Tony’s willingness to stand in the line of fire. He knew that he had to explain things properly to the Avengers. It was going to take a while before his team would come anywhere close to trusting Loki any more than simply going on Tony’s faith, and he knew that the road in front of them was going to be tough. But they’d weather it, like they always did.

 _Together_.

“Let’s go home,” said Loki, the smile on his face so bright that Tony couldn’t help but place one more kiss to his lips– one that he knew would be far, _far_ from the last.

“Yes,” Tony agreed, his own smile soft and fond. “Let’s.”


End file.
